‘Struggle Meals’ Supplement Tight Budgets

Due to inflation and the rising cost of living, many students now find themselves turning to “struggle meals.” Such meals are easy to make and time-efficient; they can be crafty or simple, but they all have one thing in common: low cost.

Students at Webster Univer- sity are no different, with many turning to struggle meals of their own during times of need. For some, struggle meals remind them of the meals they grew up eating. Freshman Jabari Mckinney’s struggle meal of choice, Maruchan ra- men noodles, isn’t solely for survival – it also gives him a sense of nostalgia.

“I grew up eating ramen my entire life. It’s very simple. It’s very fast. It’s very affordable,” Mckinney said.

Although Mckinney has a meal plan, as required for all freshmen living on campus, he is still drawn to eating ramen noodles rather than utilizing the on-campus dining options.

“If I had the option, I would just do ramen the entire semester. It’s cheaper [and] more af- fordable than getting a meal plan,” Mckinney said.

Mckinney’s method is simple: Cook a packet of ramen for about three minutes – all for 49 cents.

Though struggle meals can be sentimental for some, they aren’t for others. Fresh- man Summer Lewis, for instance, is more focused on nutritional value.

To help achieve her fitness goals, Lewis’ meal of choice is unsalted rice cakes with smooth peanut butter.

“I work out, so I need this for the nutrition,” Lewis said. “I [also] have chia seeds. I put that in my water sometimes … I sometimes get spring mix salad with raspberry vinaigrette. It’s mostly nutrition that matters for me.”

Lewis buys Schnucks-brand rice cakes and peanut butter, which brings the total for both items to about $5.

There are also those who don’t have time to concentrate on the nutritional side of things. Junior Devon Dankoski focuses more on finding something that works when resources become scarce.

“The struggle meals help because it helps our money stretch. My husband and I love cooking,” Dankoski said. Dankoski finds the cost of the struggle meals she and her husband make are no more than $10, such as a ramen pot or tater tot casserole.

The recipe for the ramen pot is chicken, a pack of ramen, mixed vegetables and eggs. The tater tot casserole is made with ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, and a layer of cheese and tater tots lining the casserole dish.

Dankoski’s meal ideas are drawn from her upbringing.

“Being poor has been the best inspiration and needing to find a way to survive, but also live,” Dankoski said. “I love a great-tasting meal, but I am also grateful for a simple meal that tastes good on my tongue after a long day of work or school.”